Key Takeaways:

• Degrassi: Whatever It Takes will spotlight Drake’s early function as Jimmy Brooks and the way it formed his profession.
• The documentary additionally explores the cultural legacy of “Degrassi” and the struggles confronted by its younger forged.
• Drake beforehand paid tribute to the present and his fellow forged members in a video for “I’m Upset.”

Before changing into the Grammy-winning artist who dominated hip hop with chart-topping hits, Drake was Aubrey Graham — greatest identified to “Degrassi: The Next Generation” followers because the character Jimmy Brooks. In the upcoming documentary Degrassi: Whatever It Takes, he displays on how the sequence formed his life and profession. Fellow co-stars like Shenae Grimes-Beech, Miriam McDonald, Stefan Brogren, and Amanda Stepto additionally seem.

In the trailer unveiled Wednesday (Aug. 27), Drake recalled private struggles as a youth: “I didn’t have a great time in high school. I just didn’t really fit in.” Things modified when his mother revealed life-changing information — He landed the function of Jimmy. “I just grabbed my bag and left,” he mentioned, noting the present turned the beginning of a “wild journey.” He additionally mirrored on how “one of [his] first kisses” happened throughout filming.

Premiering Sept. 13 on the Toronto International Film Festival, the Lisa Rideout-directed movie will dive “beneath the surface of [the show’s] success to reveal the more complicated truth.” According to the trailer’s description, “Through archival footage and intimate interviews with cast, crew and fans, the series explores both the empowering impact the show had on its audience and the personal struggles faced by its young stars. Honest, emotional, and eye-opening, this documentary examines what it really took to build Canada’s most iconic teen franchise.”

While Drake’s celebrity standing in the present day may overshadow his early performing profession, “Degrassi” stays a key chapter in his origin story. He reminded followers of that in 2018 with the video for the one “I’m Upset.” The Karena Evans-directed clip remodeled right into a full-blown reunion, with a number of members of the long-lasting forged returning to the halls of their fictional college. Even Jay and Silent Bob’s Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith — the latter of whom seems in Degrassi: Whatever It Takes — made cameos for the Scorpion standout.